A wide variety of information is presented upon the displays of various computing devices. It may be appropriate for some of the information that is presented to be viewed by any person in the vicinity of the display. However, it may be impermissible or at least undesirable for other types of information, e.g., private information, to be viewed by anyone other than the user of the computing device or those granted permission by the user. In this situation, the user may not wish for other people to be able to view the private information that is presented upon a display of the user's computing device. There may be various types of private information that is presented upon the display of a computing device. In one example, an employee may receive documents, email messages, text messages or the like of a personal nature and may present the private information upon the display of the user's computing device while at work. However, the employee may not wish for other employees to view the personal information.
In order to limit the manner in which private information may be viewed while presented upon the display of a computing device, a physical privacy shield may be mounted upon the display. While a physical privacy shield may reduce the viewing angle at which the information that is presented upon the display of the computing device may be viewed, the physical privacy shield does not eliminate the possibility that the private information presented upon the display of the computing device may be viewed by another person. Alternatively, the window in which the private information is presented upon the display of the computing device may be shrunk or may be hid when another person approaches the display of the computing device. However, shrinking or hiding of the window in which the private information is presented is not only dependent upon the vigilance of the user who must be aware of the approach of another person, but also makes it more challenging for the user to view the private information, at least in any continuous manner.
Still further, a user may protect the private information from disclosure to other people by causing all of the information, both private information and public information, to be presented upon a display of the computing device that is private to the user. While the presentation of the information upon a private display may protect the confidentiality of the private information, the presentation of the public information upon the private display will prevent the user from sharing the public information with others, at least in a routine manner and, in any event, may make the use of the public information more complex. Further, the presentation of all types of information, both private and public information, upon a private display may create social issues for the user in that other people, such as co-workers, roommates or the like, may view such behavior as suspicious, rude, or otherwise unusual. Privacy concerns may also arise in the use of multiple simultaneous displays. In this regard, two or more people may be playing a video game or otherwise interacting via a window of the multiple simultaneous displays, which they would like to remain private.